30 Questions to Kickoff: Like a Rolling Stone

Chace’s question: Does Patrone Wood II have any? Wood was a rushing machine as an Ygnacio Valley sophomore in 2007. The big guy literally ran over defenses en route to over 1,300 yards, a staggering 8.1 yards per carry, and 16 TD. It would probably be fair to say that his productions slowed a little toward the end of last season, and part of that was likely the fact that the Warriors were facing tougher defenses by that time — all of which were keying on Wood. Now in a new league, there is little question that Patrone Wood is the odds on favorite to lead it in rushing? But just how many yards can we expect?

Ben’s answer: Oddly enough, this question has more to do with Wood’s teammates than it does with him.

There’s no questioning that the sky is the limit for the bruising running back at YV. Wood ran around, over and through nearly everyone who tried to stop him last year and this year will probably be the same in terms of what he’s capable of. After his first full varsity offseason, Wood is bigger and stronger and he’ll benefit from last year’s experience.

That said, I thought he was at his best last year when Michael Callan was healthy. With Callan in the backfield alongside him, Wood had a great complement and someone to share carries with. When Callan was injured, Wood was forced to carry too much of the load himself. The Warriors need to avoid that scenario this season.

To that end, I’d point to guys like Tuli Taufoou and Gordon Annereau as possible complements to Wood’s bruising style. Annereau saw spot duty last year in the backfield and Taufoou played a good deal as well so it’s not like they’ll be lacking in experience. Also, this year, the Warriors welcome in a new quarterback (sophomore Josh Morrison), so the more they can run the ball (yeah, like they were gonna put it up 30 times a game anyway), the better.